US1412524A - Wheel guard for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

B. HOWARD. WHEEL GUARD FOR VEHICLES. AAAAAAAAA oN r'11Eu1uNEs.192o. 1,412,524. Patented Apr. 11, 1922. 2 S EEEEEEEEEEE l.

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WHEEL GUARD FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED :uns 5,1920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

s Ers E F 2 SH ET 2 UNITED i STATES PATENT, orifice.

BENJAMIN HOWARD, OF HANWELL, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOR TO THE LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

WHEEL GUARD FOR VEHICLES.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application ined June 5, ieee. serial No. 325,729.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE .ACT GF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

T 0 all whom t may conce/m Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HOWARD, a subject ot the King of England, residing at Hanwell, Middlesex, England,k have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel Guards for Vehicles, (for which on May 12, 1914i-, I iiled application No. 11,741 for British patent,) ot which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to wheel-guards :tor vehicles its object being to provide an improved construction of Such device, which shall be simple and efficient. A common fault with devices of this kind, such as have hitherto been proposed, has been the tendency to pin an obstacle of small height, such for example as an arm or hand to the ground thus involving a person in injury to a limb even though the body of the person be protected.

It has many times been proposed to provide a buit'er-rail in front of the wheels ot' a vehicle such rail being supported by mechanism so that when the forward part of the rail or some member operatively connected therewith is struck, the rail drops on to the road or low enough to prevent any object from passing beneath it. Further, it has been proposed to provide such butterrails with an inflatable tube at the front to constitute a cushion-device.

-It will be appreciated that where a device has to be dropped by the impact of, say, a person knocked down by the vehicle, a limb or some part ot the body of such person is likely to be pinned beneath the wheel-guard, in which case t-he wheel-guard may do considerable damage itselt by riding up over theolimb and even over the body of the person and it may thus be rendered practically inoperative. Y l

Fixed buffer-rails have been proposed with or without pneumatic or other cushioning devices, but it is not practicable to have these fixed so low as to prevent the hand or a limb ot a person knocked down, from getting beneath them, with the result that considerable damage may be done to the limb, and vmoreover, the limb thus being pinned down, the body of the person may be swung round against the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to provide an impact-device, hereinafter re- Jrerred to as a cushion, in trent of the wheels, which does not depend upon anj,vv drop action, is high enough from the road clear the same, but low enough and so constructed that when it strikes an object it will yieldingly close up the space between it and the road.

According to this invention the wheelguard comprises a fixed support whereon is mounted an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material (tor example a fabric built up of alternate layers of rubber and canvas) having its lower tace towards 'and near the road and being connected to the support tore and at't (tor example by upwardly-directed continuations et the same material) Vand so constructed that it is readily deformable dmvnwardl;-V along a line at right angles to thodirection otrtravel by impact against the iront ot the cushion, the proportions ot vthe defer liable parts oit' the cushion being such relatively to the distance of the under-'tace of the same trom the road that when the impact against the front ot the cushion takes place, Athe said tace is driven downwards in the form o't a ifiexible :told `or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes contact with the road ior the purpose above described.

Preferably the impact-device is in the form ot a loop or tube which is downwardly and 'forwardly directed from its support, the under-side ot' such tube constituting the aforesaid downwardly deformable face, the cross-sectional diameter of the loop or tube and the stout-ness oit the material composing the same, being such as to operate in the manner previously described.

there a tube is employed, a backingplate may be provided on the support which extends from a point about halt-way up the, tube, whose throughway lies horizontally at right-angles to the direction of tr vel ot the vehicle` to a point near the top ot the tube. A rigi backing is thus provideffl for the rearward and upper portion ot' the tuhe which the better ensures the desired action of the tube.

A number of short sections oi. tube may be used placed end-to-end, and,if desired, spaced apart across the front of the vehicle Y the wheel.

or any part where it is desired to apply the invention. Y

Means may be provided for adjusting the height 01"' the impact-device from the road.

VConveniently the under-tace oi the iinpact-device may be formed of, or provided with, india-rubber or other Jr'riction-producing material, so that upon contact with an obstacle of too small a height to strike the impact-face ott the device properly, such as the hand of a person, the friction with the obstacle will carry the latter alongl over the roadway free from serious injury.

ln the acconipanying?` drawings:-

,Figure l is ay vl'ront elevation oil a lite `Aguard device constructeil according to one method of carrying;` out this invention; y

Figure 2 is a plan olthe same;

Figure 3 is a` detail section on line 'S--l of Figure 2;

Figure l is a detail showing` the attach- Vnient oit the wheel guards to the traine;

Figure 5 shows a plan olf a. iuodilication ot' the construction of a portion Yshown in Figures 1 and 2;

Y Figures G and i are elevation and plan respectively of a modihcation showing' an application of this invention to a rear whe el; and

Figure 8 is a side view of a device constructed according to the present invention as appliedA for use between the front and rear wheels of a vehicle.y Y VThe sanne reference characters indicate the same parts in all the gures.

A wheel-guard is provided for each front wheel and turns with it in its turning` movements. This wheel-guard comprises a G- shaped supporting` bracket A having an external stillening rib A1, which is mounted to turn upon the pivot-pin A2 about which the front wheel turns. The b aeket is so shaped aste engage this pin at both its upper and lower ends and so works firmly and easily thereon. To the rib A1 ot the bracket A is bolted a wood and steel 'framework or shield A3 which extends forwardly from the bracket inside the wheel and outwardly in- 'liront or rlhe lower edge A* ot' the shield A3 is arranged close to the ground, aud carries an impact-receiving` cushion as hereinafter described. ln order t-hat vthe two shields A3 may turnabout the pivots fig in unison. withthe steering movements ott the wheels, the brackets A have reaiwvard e.;- tensions A5 which carry studs A engaged by lugs A7 on the steering mechanism olf' the front wheels. This steeringmechanism is of the usual kind and comprises two levers C and C1 each secured to the axle otono et the front wheels and connected together by a cross-bar C2. The lugs A7 are mounted on the levers@ and C1 and are nearer the eentre of the vehicle than the studs A6, so that they can act upon the studs A6 and extensions A5 ,ses

to push thein outwardly troni the centre. Such an .action of course moves 'the shields A and attz-iched parts of the wheelguard inwardly. The extensions All are drawn together and held against the lugs A7 by the spring connected to each or' theih by rods r't. is previously stated, the shields A are bent outwardly at their forward ends in front ofthe front wheels, and it will be readily understood that if one of these snields should strike any obstacle, such as a curb-stone, the spring A3 permits it to yield inwardly, turning about thepivot A2 independent-ly oi the wheel, but normally Vthe lugs Riton the steering' mechanism cause Vthe shields to turn in unison with the steering movements ot the wheels.

rIhoshields are carried downwards close to the ground and rearwardly between The under-tace P5, Figure 3, of the cush- 1 ion curves downwardly towards the road so i' that it has a bias in that direction when Ythe face B strikes an obstacle, and the fact that thepartsV B4, be viewed as a loop or tube which projects' forwardly and down'- wardly from rthe plate B3,- tendstoincrease l the downward movement of the part] when the part B1 is struck.

it will be seen that the throughway ci the forward end of the tube B is horizontal and at right-'angles to the direction of travel. The tube is exten-fled down the side acesot the edges .A4 of the shields A Vwhere its throughway is not at right-angles Yto the direction of travel, Ybut it is not4 y when thus placedv obliipiely to the direction of travel. ik suitable construction ol"V the cushion has been found to be a hose about T inches in external diameter formed oi' about 'T-ply cai'lvasaiid rubber alternately with a total thickness of wall of abtnitA tlu'e-ouar- 'ters of an inch. The lower edge oit the cushion may be about three-quarters of an Yinch troni the ground level, but this distance may so ellfective Y be slightly increased 0r diminishedV as de Y Y sired.V Y Y Y ln order to protect the cushion Yfrom wear byaceidental contact with a road :surface or objects thereon, Vit may be provided with a single row of steel studs, but care must be taken to place these so that they do not interfere with the' frietional action between the cushion and anobstacle of'small height.

vided secured to the cross-member D of the chassis of the vehicle.. This consists of several Vshort sections E of rubber canvas hose, each mounted on a vertical supporting member E1 bolted to the cross-meni-Y ber D of the frame. The vertical supports E1 are further connected together by a horizontal bar E2. In order to provide for the vertical adjustment of this life guard, a series of bolt-holes E3, E4 is provided in each of the supports El so that it may be bolted to the cross-member D in a number of diii'erent positions nearer' to or further from the ground level. Each of the cushions E is provided with a constrainingplate E5.

In the modification shown in Figure 5, the inclined portion extending from a position just in advance of the wheel to a position beneath thefront axle is replaced by a series vof short cushions B6 arranged stepwise, Y Y TheA construction' shown Ain Figures 6 and 7, having a cushion F', is very similarpto that hereinbefore described with reference to Figuresfl and 2 except thatas applied to a 'rear wheel provision does not have to be made for any pivotal movement of the wheel. i

. Short cushions may also be employed, one at'each end'of a guard H as seen at G3 in Figure 8, placed between the front and rear wheels of a vehicle.

It will be appreciated that each cushion or tube, B, F or G3, provides an underpart of flexible and resilient material with its face near the road, which under part is connected fore and aft by the continuation of the material upwardly to the support or backing-plate B3. The tube thus constitutes a loop of material whose under-side has a bias downwards so that it is readily deformable downwardly alonga. line at right-angles to the direction of travel when impact takes place against the front of the cushion and the said under part is placed near enough to the road and is sufficiently deformable, so that when the tube is struck vat the front, the under-face is forced down approximately into contact with the road. The part thus forced down is in the form of a exible fold or tongue which obviates or reduces the risk of a portion of the obstacle for example the hand or part of a persons clothing` from passing beneath the cushion. In the case, however, in which what is first encountered is of small height, such for exand i ample as the hand of a person, the friction between the rubber surface of the cushion and the hand will serve to brush or sweep the hand ong over the ground until fuller impact occurs with the person, which full impact is taken by the body of the cushion and results in the person being carried bodily along free from serious injury.

It has been proposed to use a solid rubber or pneumatic buffer on a spring-carried frame in front of a vehicle wheel, which buffer projected forwardly .and was suliieiently resilient to enable it to be forced down by the impact of anyebject upon the upper side of it.

It has also been proposed to support a pneumatic tube on a buffer-rod by a bacling-plate extending approximately from the top of the tube down to a point near the bottom of the same, but this buffer-rod was arranged to drop when struck by an obstacle. lVhen the buffer-rod was in the dropped position the tube formed a downwardly and forwardly projecting loop on the rod, but being carried on a movable frame and being inflated, its action would not be the same as the impact-device according to the present invention.

`blo claim is made for either of these two last-described arrangements.

TWhat I claim my invention and desir-e to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprisinga support, an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material having its lower face towards and near theroad, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support such ,ft-manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft, said impact-cushion being so constructed that it is readily deformable downwardly along a line at right-angles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the proportions of the deformable parts of the cushion being such relatively to the distance of the under face of the same from the read that when the impact against the front of the cushion takes place, the said face is driven downwaix-.s in the forni of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower Vedge aiugroximately makes contact with the road for the Vpurpose described.

A wheel-guard -for a vehicle cor-.1prisinpr a support, an in'umct-cushion of ficxible and resilient material having its lower 'face towards and near the road. and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft by upwardly-direrted continuations of the support, said impactcushion being so constructed that it is readily deformable downwardly alongl a line at right-angles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the proportions of the deformable parts vrthat is .readily deformable along a line .at right-angles to the direction Vof travel by impact against the front of vthe purpose described.

3. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising a support, an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material built up of alternate layers of rubber and canvas and having its lower face towards and near the road, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft.y said impactcushion heilig so constructed that it is readily deformable downwardly along a line at right-angles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the proportions of the deformable parts of the cushion being such relatively to the distance of the under face of the same from the road that when the impact against the front 0f the cushion takes place, the said face is driven. downwards in the form of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes Contact with the road, for the purpose described. l

4L. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising aV support, an impact-cushion having its lower face towards and near the road, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft, said impactcushion being in the form of a loop which is downwardly and forwardly directed from the support, is of fiexible and resilient material whose underside constitutes a face that is readily deformable downwardly along a line at right-angles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion and the cross-sectional diameter of the loop and the stoutness of the material composing the saine being such that when the impact against the front 0f the cushion takes place, the said face is driven downwards in the form of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes Contact with the road, for the purpose described.

5. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising a support, an impact-cushion having its lower face towards and near the road, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such .a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft, said impactcushion being inthe form of a tube which is downwardly and forwardly directed from the support, is of flexible and resilient niaterial whose underside constitutes a face downwardly the cushion and the cross-sectional diameter of the tube and the stoutness of the material .tongueV whose lower edge approximately makes contact with the road, for the purpose described 3 6. A wheel-guard for a velncle, compris- VingV animpact cushion inthe form ot' a tube, a support having a concave wall constituting a backing for the tube, and means attaching` one side of said tube to the support in such a manner that the tube is directed downwardly and forwardly from the support so as to have its' lower face situated substantially nearer the road 'than is the bottom of the support, said backing extending from a 'point approximately halfway up` and behind the' tube towards the top of the same.

7. A wheel-guard fora'vehicle, comprising an impact cushion in the form of a tube, a support having a curved wall constituting a backing for the tube, and means attaching one side of said tube to the sup'- port in such amanner that the tube is directed downwardly and forwardly from the support so as to have Vits lower face situated substantially nearer to the road than is the bottom ofthe support, said backing extending upwards Vfrom a point approximately half-wayup and behind the tube, and downwards from a point below 'the top of the tube. Y Y

8. `A wheel-guard for a vehicle, comprising an impact-device in the form of aY plurality of short sections of open-ended loops, concave supports for said sections,V and means for mounting said sectionsagainst the'concave walls of the supports with their through-way axes at right-angles to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the concave walls of the supports providing each a backing for a section which extends from a point approximately half-way up and behind the section towards the top of the same, for the purpose described.

9. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising a support, an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material having its lower face towards and near the road and formed of friction-producing materia-l,v and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft, said impact-cushion being so constructed that it is readily deformable downwardly along a line at rightangles to the direction of travel by impactY against the front of the cushion, and the Yproportions of the deformable parts of the cushion being such relatively to the distance of the underface of the same from the road that when the-impact against the front of the cushion takes place, the said face is driven downwards in the form ofV a flexible fold 'or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes contact witlrthe road, for the purpose described.

10. A well-guard for avehicle comprising a support, an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material having its lower face towards and near the road and there provided with a rubber friction surface, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft,- said impactcushion being so constructed that it is readily deformable downwardly along a line at right-angles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the proportions ofthe deformable parts of the cushion being such relatively to vthe distance of the underface of the same from the road that when the impact against the front of the cushion takes place, the said face is driven downwards in the form of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes contact with the road, for the purpose described.

11. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising a support, an impact-cushion in the form of a tube having its lower face towards and near the road and there provided with a rubber friction surface, and means for mounting said impact-cushion on the support lin such a manner that the support provides a backing for it which extends from a point approximately half way up and behind the tube-,towards the top of the same, for the purpose described.

12. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient material having its lower face towards and near the road, supports for said cushion to which it is connected fore and aft and whereby it is carried in front of a steering wheel of the vehicle, said cushion being so constructed that it readily deformable downwardly along a line at rightangles to the direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the proportions of the deformable parts of the cushion being such relatively to the distance of the underface of the same from the road that when the impact against the front of the cushion takes place, the said face is driven downwards in the form of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes contact with the road, andmeans for turning said support in unison with the supports of the wheel.

13. A wheel-guard for a vehicle comprising an impact cushion having its lower face towards and near the road, a support for said cushion, means for mounting said cushion on the support in such a manner that it is connected thereto fore and aft and is carried in frontof a steering wheel of said vehicle, said cushion being in the form of a tube which is downwardly and forwardly resilient material whose underside constitutes a face which is readily deformable downwardly along a line at right-angles to the'direction of travel by impact against the front of the cushion, and the cross-sectional diameter of the tube and the stoutness of the material composing the same being such that when the impact against the front of the cushion talles place, the said face is driven downwards in the form of a flexible fold or tongue whose lower edge approximately makes contact with the road, and means for turning said support in unison with the steering movements of the wheel.

14. A wheel-guard for two steering wheels of a vehicle comprising for each wheel an impact-cushion in the form of a tube having its lower face towards and near the road, a support for each cushion, means for mounting said cushion on the support in such a manner that the support provides a backing for it which extends from a point at approximately half way up and behind the tube towards the top of the same, and means for turning said supports in unison with Vthe steering movements of the wheels, said cushions being adapted to move yieldingly and independently of the wheels toward the centre of the vehicle, for the purpose described.

15. A ,wheel-guard for the steering wheel of a vehicle comprising an impact-cushion in the form of a tube having its lower face towards and near the road, a support for said cushion, means for mounting said cushion on the support in such a manner that the support provides a backing for it which extends from a point approximately half way up and behind the tube towards the top of the same, means, including a lug, for steering the vehicle wheel and resilient means for holding the cushion against said lug, which latter is adapted to move the cushion inwardly towards the centre of the vehicle.

15. fr wheel-guard for two steering wheels of a vehicle comprising for each wheel an impact-cushion in the form of a tube having its lower face towards and near the road, a support for each cushion, means for mounting said cushion on the support in such a manner that the support provides a. backing for it which extends from a point approximately half way up and behind the tube towards the top of the same, means including a lug at each side of the vehicle, for steering the vehicle wheel and resilient means connecting the cushions together and holding them against said lugs, which lat ter are adapted to move the cushions inward y towards the centre of the vehicle.

1T. 5r wheel-guard for two steering wheels of a vehicle comprising for each wheel an impact-cushion of flexible and resilient malthe `trout of the cushions takes place, the

said 'l'aces are driven downwards in the lform yof llexible folds or tongues whose lower yedges approximately make contact with the road, means including a lug at feach side of the vehicle7 for steering the vehicle Wheel and resilient means connecting `the cushions together and holding them against saidlugs, which latter are adapted to move the cushions inwardly towards the open-ended transverse flexible tube which is stiff enough to maintain its shape when not in collision with an obstacle7 a supporting backine plate or the tube, means attaching one side of the tube to the plate ,in such a manner that the tube is directe-d downwardly and forwardly from the vplate with 'its through-way axis approximately horizontal and at right angles tothe direction of travel oit' the vehicle, said plate extending from a point approximately half way up and behind the tube towards the top of the same, and means adjustable in height vfrom the ground for mounting said support on a vehicle. Y:

In testimonywhereof I aiiix my signa BENJAMIN HOWARD.

' ture.

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